Dark Side Stories
by Lilleanna
Summary: Hiei has been missing for two years after the defeat of Sensei. What has happened to him while he was gone? Why can't he remember? And at what lengths will he go to save someone who has grown close to him?
1. Chapter 1

Dark Side Stories Chapter 1: Unknown dreams 

_Hola, my name is Akyna (The author). I'll be talking to you before and after most chapters. I hope you like this story, I saw some of it in a dream I had…kinda funny I know, and thought of how I could extend it so that I could be a story, I thought long and hard and came up with this as a start. Enjoy._

_Disclaimer: Sadly i don't not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of it's characters, if i did i would have put a womans touch on things and had so much more fun with it. But i do however own a few characters in this fic._

_Please R&R i love reveiws they make me happy...XD..._

"Go faster!" Hiei yelled at black outline he seemed to be chasing. Everything seemed to be vivid and offset.

"Just go, leave me here, I only slow you down," the shadowy figure responded in a childish voice. Oddly, the voice sounded more sorry of his slowness than scared of whatever they were running from...

"Shut up and keep going!" Hiei yelled.

A monster crashed through the trees behind them and swiped for the child. Hiei stood in its way with a sword and slashed at the giant beast, causing it to yell in pain. Hiei turned and ran after the child that had continued to run while Hiei was keeping the beast at bay. The monster remained in that part of the forest to nurse his wound, while Hiei and the child got away.

The two demons came upon a small abandoned village, they both decided that they could stay and rest, hoping they wouldn't be discovered, that the demon beast would pass them by.

Many hours had passed since they found the village.

They heard the demon pass by once and now were resting inside one of the houses, keeping very quiet and still. The child had fallen asleep shortly after arriving, tired and very worn.

He had fallen asleep in Hiei's lap, and Hiei was running his fingers through the child's hair. He was curious why this gesture didn't seem odd, but fatigue was taking over and he was slowly beginning to nod as well.

'Why am I here and what am I doing falling asleep; I should be listening for the demon…' Hiei thought. He then slowly drifted into sleep. In his dreams, as they seemed to fade by, he heard a loud crashing noise and snapped back into reality.

The demon had found their scent at the far end of the village and he was looking for the food that had escaped him before. The top of the house was suddenly ripped away, revealing their hiding spot. The demon reached for the child and before Hiei even had his wits about him, the child was unconscious in the demon claws.

As the demon began to move away, Hiei jumped up and ran after the huge creature. To Hiei, it looked like a cross between a giant bear and badger. He pulled his sword from the sheath in a flash and jumped into a tree after it. He leaped onto the demon's furry back and stabbed the sword into what he thought was the spine. The demon let out a startled and painful roar. He dropped the unconscious kid and collapsed into all four legs. Hiei leaped to the ground and jumped away from a swinging paw, skirted around the beast, picked up the kid and ran deeper into the forest knowing that he had to get away. He leaped into a tree and looked behind him to see if they were still being followed. The huge mass of fur was still lying on the ground in pain, and for the moment the two were safe where they were.

'How did I get myself into so much trouble?' Hiei questioned himself.

Carefully shaking the child, it seemed like a long moment before the kid's eyes flickered open. Hiei couldn't even distinguish what color the child's eyes were. "What happened?" he asked when he saw the child was awake.

"I don't know, it was so fast I don't know how it happened," the child mumbled groggily.

Hiei sighed relief and glanced back up to where the mass of fur had been, only to find the demon was gone. Even for a demon of such massive size, Hiei couldn't find him.

Then again the demon crashed through the trees, and Hiei picked up the injured child and jumped through the treetops.

"Let me go… I don't want you to get hurt, just leave me…" Hiei gave the child a silencing look but the child continued. "I don't understand what are you doing, let me go! You never cared about anything before?!" yelled the small child from Hiei's arms.

"What?" Hiei asked, and before his mind could register the child's comment, they were both falling through the midnight air. The branch they had been on knocked into oblivion by the giant bear demon. Hiei hit the ground hard, curious if anything was broken; he rose slowly and could feel his body ache, he shook his head from the shock. He then began searching for the child that escaped his arms as they were falling.

The demon seemed to be guarding the cliff, but Hiei's full attention was set to finding the missing child. The demon watched another moment, then laughed. It was a grating sound, more like a broken roar than laughter.

"You are foolish, you search for a thing you never wanted, and you want this world to be true, search your heart, demon, and tell me what you find there, for all I've found is ice," said the low grumble of the giant demon's voice.

"Help me!" called a voice from over the edge of the cliff.

Hiei heard the yell from over the cliff but watched the demon and allowed the words to sink into his head, it was exactly what his mind was saying to him, too. He was remembering his homeland, Koorime, and how he had seen his mother only once… he couldn't really remember her face…then he remember that he was cast out like a rat.

"Help!!" yelled the terrified voice again.

All thoughts dissipated except the one that still questioned what he was doing and Hiei sprang into action running towards the cliff. He skidded across the rocky ground and turned himself so that he could reach for the child hanging over the edge. Just as he reached over to grab him, the child slipped and fell into the abyss below.

The reality sank in quick and he felt tears well up in his eyes, "No!" he cried into the abyss, still recovering from the shock.

"Foolish demon, search your heart and you will find no warmth there, yet you feel pain over a thing you don't really care about. How foolish." The giant demon growled, stepping closer.

"Shut the hell up!" Hiei replied, stumbling into standing position. "You can't have any idea what I feel! I didn't want him to feel the pain I felt." In Hiei's mind he was confused… what did this all mean, he didn't even know the child's name, or believed he didn't, and yet his physical body was wracked with painful sobs.

The massive monster demon looked at the smaller youkai and laughed again, he raised his massive paw. Hiei stood still and let the attack come; he didn't have the energy to resist anymore. He didn't fight back, the child was gone and nothing seemed worth protecting more than that child, --at least his physical body said so, his mind was still lost in confusion about the scene that had just played out-- and now he was gone.

As Hiei laid in the darkness, he felt himself floating and a slight breeze rush by him. 'Search your heart demon, and tell me what you find there, for all I've found is ice…' Those words rang through his head like a broken record, they seemed so true. Even some of his own _friends_ claimed that his heart was made of ice. It had never bothered him before now, though it was painful to remember.

'My heart's not made of ice…is it?' he thought desperately, his thoughts wandered to child he had tried to save…his child…he couldn't save him, or himself. 'You never cared about anything before?!' those were the words the small child with no name had yelled at him; they, too, hurt to hear.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I wasn't strong enough to save you…I lost you and I don't under stand. If this is a dream…why is it so real…why do I cry over your death…pity you…hate myself for letting you fall…," he said aloud, mostly to himself.

An airy voice on the wind that rushed past him called in a whispery tone, "Don't cry…please…I'm not very far away, you'll see me with your own eyes soon…so please…don't cry…"

Hiei listened for any other words of encouragement and then allowed those words to pierce the strong walls of his mind. A tear rolled down Hiei's face, "I won't cry anymore, find me soon…find me…Kobe."

_What do think so far my sister thought it was interesting and I sort of plan on letting my mom read it so that she doesn't get all annoyed that I'm not doing anything weird, honestly. So r&r please tell me if it's too weird or if it needs something. ._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Reunion 

_Hello again, hope you like to see the whole gang in one room this chapter is funnier than the last one or so I think. So please enjoy. Oh, and for those of you that have to know how to pronounce the name in the last chapter, ME: it pisses me off when I can't pronounce the name right, if that's any consolation it's Kobe(co-bay). Not like the city in Japan has absolutly no relation and i didn't even know that a city called Kobe exsisted until i had to do a report about Japan in my History class, after i started this fic...strange i know._

The last word...the child's name...had come in a whisper as if he would blow the essence of the child's voice away.

He felt himself falling and he didn't know why the child's name had come and why he felt so sure that was _the_ name… but blackness faded into white light … then all seemed well in Hiei's mind, but his heart was still at battle…

Hiei awoke from the dream; sweat was running off his face like a fountain.

"What the hell was that?" he asked himself, "Why did I know that boy…Kobe…why did I care…why did I…cry…," Hiei looked around, he was still in the tree that he had chosen to sleep in for the night.

He touched his hand to his heart. 'Ice?' he questioned silently.

Hiei always wore black. He had on a black cape that went all the way around his person, this cape also had sleeves, and he was wearing black pants and black boots. His hair was black with a little white in the front, and it stuck up on its own. His eyes were red and he was only about five feet tall, with a sword that was hidden beneath his cape. He also wore a white bandanna around his forehead so that he wasn't using his Jagan, a third eye that made him a very powerful demon.

Hiei sat back and tried to remember the last time he had a dream that seemed so real, if ever a dream at all. Even when the demon monster had killed him he felt pain. He felt sadness when he watched the child fall over the cliff. To him they were feelings that he couldn't explain to himself.

Hiei rose from the tree branch, the face and the voice of the child still firmly stamped into his memory. He proceeded to jump from treetop to treetop; he was making his way to Koenma's castle and a way to Ningenkai.

"Ah, Hiei, there you are, hope you know that we have been looking for you for a very long time… where have you been?" Koenma asked, not even looking up from his book to see who was at the door but just knowing. "Well, do you have an excuse for your rudeness in not contacting me and especially your friends."

"My friends, yea," Hiei remarked sarcastically.

"Well, they seem to think that you are their friend. Aria has been especially worried. And Kurama… don't even get me started, 'have you found him yet, have you found him yet?' sheesh, he hasn't stopped asking," Koenma said, looking up from his reading. Hiei's face seemed out of it and he was looking at the wall with what could be perceived as interest, but actually he was lost in his own thoughts. Koenma could tell, he was old _enough_ to read a face. "Um…Hiei are you okay, you look like you're sick?"

Hiei looked at the short lord of the spirit world, "Tell me Koenma, when you have a dream it usually resembles things you have already seen or touched or felt, right?" Hiei asked looking around the room.

Koenma nodded and listened attentively.

"Well, what is different when you have a dream that has nothing to do with what you in your own lifetime have experienced; what is it called then?" Hiei asked, keeping himself from looking the ruler straight in the eye.

"Well, Hiei, it could mean a lot of different things, you could be seeing your past or your future, or the past or future of someone else… a vision, if you will. Hiei…" Koenma's voice became very grave, "Has this happened to you, is that why you're curious?" Koenma asked, looking at his guest's face and trying to read it again.

"I guess you could say that," Hiei said, twiddling with a pen that he'd picked up off the floor.

"Hiei, you should tell me about it, maybe I can help you," Koenma suggested.

"I just need to get to Ningenkai; can you help me with _that_ or can you not?" Hiei asked, emphasizing his point, he set the pen back down on the desk and turned to the door as if to leave.

"Yes, Hiei, I can help you get there but you must promise me something, you have to go tell Kurama you're here or he will never leave me alone," Koenma said, continuing to read his book. "Go tell the guards at the gate I sent you and they should get out of your way, if they don't…beat them up or something." Koenma then waved Hiei out of the room.

Hiei left without a word and went to the human world gate. He smirked at the thought of being able to hit the guards if need be, ever since he'd awoken this morning he'd had an insatiable urge to hit someone, ever since the demon in his dream had killed him so easily. He found the two guards talking about something, when they saw him they immediately straightened up and looked serious. Hiei proceeded to walk right by them but they stopped him with their spears crossing in front of him.

"I'm sorry, you cannot pass, not without lord Koenma's approval," one of the guards stated clearly.

"I have Koenma's consent to go to the human world; now let me pass or I _also _have the consent to beat you both senseless," Hiei spat.

"I'm sorry, I cannot let you pass," the same guard said again.

Hiei sighed and pulled his hands out of his pockets and with what looked like a blur, and punched the guard in the face. He looked that the other guard who immediately backed away and let Hiei pass.

Hiei walked down a human world street, passing people as he went to Aria's house to find her and Kurama, keeping to the silent promise with Koenma. Women of all ages gawked as the handsome young man walked by them, although Hiei hadn't grown much in the past two years, only gaining three inches, making him only about five three. He was certain he'd continue to grow.

He kept to himself as he walked, his gaze met the blue eyes of a girl about his own age, and she quickly blushed and looked away, only looking back at him when he had walked past her.

Hiei continued walking, a couple of the men he saw as he walked looked a little shady and Hiei didn't feel he wanted to show off his power in public… not to mention that Aria would have his head for such a thing.

One person he walked by reminded Hiei of Kurama's human mother, of whom he'd only met once. And for some reason he liked her, she was kind and sweet, and very motherly, something that Hiei truly didn't know much about. The thought passed when he saw Aria and Kurama's house come into sight.

Aria heard a knock on the door and put down her cooking and went to get it. Knowing the others were too busy with their games to care who was at the door or if someone was even there at all.

She walked into the living room to find Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara way too involved in a video game. She also saw Boton, Shizuru, and Keiko playing a board game on the small living room table. She saw the little blue blob, Puu that was Yusuke's spirit beast.

"Dinner is almost ready people," Aria called as she walked through the room to the door.

She heard the boys as they yelled at the TV screen when their character died, as she opened the door she smiled and laugh at them, then turned to see Hiei standing in the doorway.

"Hiei!" She said happily, "Where have you been?" she said opening a path to invite him in.

He walked in looked at the others playing their merry games, "I guess I'm not missing anything?" he asked when he walked in.

Kurama heard the voice of his best friend and was the first off the floor to greet him.

"Hiei, it has been awhile," Kurama said holding out his hand.

Hiei looked at him and took a firm grip of Kurama's hand, and shook it like a gentleman, looking squarely into Kurama's eyes, seeing the friendly glow again was calming, especially after his dream.

"Hey Urameshi, look it's shorty," Kuwabara said standing up and walking over. "But he's gotten taller."

"Hey Hiei, long time, no see. What you been up to?" Yusuke asked resting his arm on Hiei's shoulder.

"Wow, Hiei, you're back… didn't think I would be seeing you again… not in a while, at least," Boton said leaving her game.

Hiei looked around for Aria but couldn't find her, "Where did Aria go?" he asked who ever would answer.

"She's probably back in the kitchen, she invited them all over for dinner and as you can see they all came," Kurama said, sitting back down to play his game.

"Aria cooks really good food," Kuwabara added; he too was sitting down to finish the game and was followed by Yusuke.

Hiei said nothing more but wandered into the kitchen and found Aria cooking just as Kurama said.

Hiei wasn't sure exactly what to call his relationship with Aria and Kurama, he just felt at peace around them and could talk to them easily. So when the chance came to spend time around Kurama or Aria, or both, he would gladly do it and sometimes he just had to get away from the girls and humans.

"Hiei, I'm glad you're here… could you stir that gravy for me? It would be really helpful of you," Aria asked, she motioned toward a small pot on the stove, and then she continued to cut up potatoes.

Hiei's first thought was 'What the hell is gravy?' but didn't say anything. Hiei looked at the pot of light brown, thick liquid and took hold of the spoon and the pot handle and began to stir it in circles, he wasn't sure what he was doing but he stirred like she had asked.

When there wasn't a 'no' response like she had expected, Aria turned to see him stirring the gravy without complaint.

"Hiei, there's something bothering you, isn't there?" Aria asked picking up the potatoes and dumping them in a pot of boiling water.

Hiei stopped stirring for a moment and looked, stunned, into the brown liquid that wouldn't even reflect his face so he could see the look his face bore, but after he cleared his mind again he resumed the circular motion with the spoon.

"Hiei, what's wrong? You would always protest when it came to helping me. Now you're not," Aria said, taking another wooden spoon out of a drawer and stirring the potatoes.

"Hey, how did you do that?!" Yusuke asked loudly from the other room.

They heard Kurama respond, " x, o, R2, L1."

"Kurama has changed… he would have never even attempted to play any of those games willingly if he was still the same," Hiei said continuing to stir the pot.

"It's been two years, Hiei, what would you expect… three years ago you helped in the Youkai tournament. And two years ago you helped us defeat Sensui. They're all are glad that they don't have to go out and fight… that's why I invited them over. The boys love to play games, and the girls either watch, play, or do something else," Aria said opening the bottom oven, causing Hiei to have to move over a bit, and then she checked on something inside and closed it again.

"You've changed too, Hiei, I didn't think you would ever help me even if I asked nicely," Aria said leaning against the counter.

Hiei paused for a moment; he had been a little different to himself and everybody else. He thought about where he had been for the last two years but nothing came to mind. He couldn't remember where he had been.

Aria then wandered back over to the counter and started putting some dough on a pan. She wandered back over to the oven and Hiei moved over again so that she could put what needed to be in the smaller top oven.

"Well, not long now," she said wiping the sweat from her head, "are you going to stay for dinner? I even have a room that you can sleep in."

Hiei didn't say anything, but it didn't bother Aria as she proceeded to finish cooking.

After Aria had taken everything out of the oven and off the stove, she began to set the table. Hiei had left her to go see what the others were doing and hadn't returned… again it didn't bother Aria. Even though Kurama lived with her, he never helped cook, she was used to it.

Hiei walked into the living room and looked at the people there.

Kurama wasn't his real name; his true name was Shuichi Minamino, or that was his human name; he was taller than everybody but Kuwabara, standing about 5'9" and his hair was long and red. His eyes were a bright emerald green and his clothing consisted of a maroon colored kung-fu outfit, his shoes were a simple brown. He was very good looking and all the girls at school thought so, too. But he was a very skilled fighter, and only became that way because of the demon spirit inside of him, the spirit of Youko Kurama. He had fought and saved Hiei once, so the two were the best of friends, even if they didn't act like it.

Then there was Kazuma Kuwabara he had orange-looking hair and his eyes were a brown color. He stood the tallest of the group at about 6'. He was wearing his school uniform, which was a blue jumpsuit. His shoes were the same simple brown, and his power was the power to summon a spiritual sword of a glowing yellow color. He and Yusuke were a good team although Kuwabara always thought that he could beat Yusuke but he couldn't. He even cried when at Yusuke's wake, demanding that he shouldn't have died then, right when they had a score to settle. They were good friends now even though they made fun of one another; they would put themselves in harm's way to save the other.

Then, there was Yusuke Urameshi, the 'great spirit detective' hand picked by Koenma himself. When he died because a car hit him when trying to save a young child. Koenma thought that his spirit was perfect and chose him to become a spirit detective; the plus to that was that he got live again, the bad end was that he had the duty of protecting the human world from the youkai. He usually wore green jumpsuit even to school, and his hair was black and usually combed against his head. His eyes were deep brown. He wasn't too much shorter than Kuwabara at about 5'8". His special ability was his spirit gun, which was a blast of spirit energy at an opponent. It was very powerful but both Kuwabara and Yusuke could street fight and then add their spirit energy to the mix they could knock out a powerful demon.

There was also Keiko, a girl who got into this mess all because she loved Yusuke a little too much. She was usually a quiet girl, but even Hiei didn't want anything to do with her when she got mad. She had medium brown hair and her eyes were a hazel with a tint of yellow. She wasn't very tall only about 5'5". She always wore some kind of dress but she never wore a really short one, because of all the boys she hung around.

Boton was the grim reaper of the human world; she came to pick up the people who have just died and take them to spirit world. She was also the guardian of the river Styx. She met Yusuke when he died… she showed him that he had to get back to the human world and protect his friends and family. Soon after that she became Yusuke's messenger -sort of- always giving him messages from Koenma and getting herself into trouble. Yusuke was glad to have her there, however, and every body else was glad too that she kept him in check. Because she is a spirit, her hair has a blue tint to it and her eyes are pink, which makes her different from the others; her really good usefulness to the team is her power to heal slight wounds.

And then there was Shizuru Kuawbara, Kazuma's older sister, she was shorter than him but she was definitely stronger than him, she stood about the same height as Yusuke, about 5'8". She kept him in check and like any other sibling was always looking out for him. Her hair was light brown and her eyes were the same brown color as her brother's. She had no really special powers but is able to sense ghosts and apparitions, she has a little psychic ability. She was a tomboy and always wore what Kuwabara or Yusuke would wear. Which was usually a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

And lastly there was Aria, she was a youkai now, but she hadn't been four years ago, at least she didn't know four years ago. She was a simple human, or so she thought she never knew her birth parents. She didn't stay in foster care long enough to find a home. She traveled across land and through forests and found her self in Yusuke's town. Badly beaten and bruised, she was being attacked by punkers and was helped by Yusuke. At the age of thirteen she came to live with Yusuke and his parents. A year later, Yusuke's father died and Yusuke's mother kicked her out of the house because his mom started drinking. Yusuke's mother blamed Aria for her husband's death and banned her from her house and the only home Aria had ever known.

Aria had found a way to live; she started working at an apartment building, in return she got to live there, and then started working another job to pay for food. She eventually found a well paying job and bought a house that she could live in and she went back to school. At the age of fifteen she had found all that she needed. Her luck never seemed to run out.

Then she died. She was caught up in great debt that she couldn't get herself out of and was killed for it. Yusuke didn't understand when he awoke from being dead for two weeks; it was Aria that had awakened him and she died bleeding in his arms. Aria had given up the last of her life energy to save him. Up until that point Yusuke and Aria were the best of friends and inseparable. She came back as her true form a demon fox, and a well-respected fighter in the youkai world. Even Koenma the lord of spirit world didn't make this creature angry.

She had medium brown hair that was slightly highlighted, and her eyes were an amber-yellow, though she could hide them and make them look aqua colored. She had brown fuzzy fox ears that when she was in public were hidden with her magic as well. She also had a pair of angelic black night wings that would recede into her back when she wanted them to. She, too, was a tomboy and wore boys clothing and never really thought otherwise.

Aria and Youko Kurama had known each other since they were children in Makai. They even were thieves together as well, but she got very badly injured and separated from Youko and their companion, Kuronue.

She found a way to save herself and took the chance…she became human.

She eventually found her way to the human world as a spirit and took over the body of a human child, becoming human herself. She took over the body of a dying baby, so she saved the child by becoming half of the babe's soul. She had forgotten all her memories and _now_ knew it was the price to pay for the trade.

Not long after, although, unknown to the baby Aria. Youko had suffered a very similar fate, becoming a child to a human although the child he had become was a fetus, and when Kurama was born he did remember being Youko.

Aria was older by about five months than Kurama, in human years. Kuronue, their companion died soon after Aria, he had died trying to get back something very precious and was skewered by a trap hunters had set for him.

Although Kurama and Youko seem different, they are the same person, and because Youko loved Aria when they were thieves, his feelings never changed when he became Kurama. Aria had felt the same way ever since they met when they were children. And even though Kurama and Youko seemed like different people they are one in the same and what ever Youko feels so does Kurama and the same way around. And so if Youko loves Aria so does Kurama.

Kurama had once become evil, joining Hiei to get a demon mirror, and save his human mother, but when Yusuke saved his life and the life of his mother he and Yusuke were now on the same team.

Hiei was on the human side because he had fought Yusuke and was defeated by him once and now even though Hiei and Yusuke considered each other friends, Hiei vowed revenge for the defeat of simple luck. He also loves to fight people who can match his strength.

"Aww, Urameshi, you killed me again, you bastard," Kuwabara yelled at Yusuke who immediately retaliated.

"Hey, it's a stupid game; could you stop getting so mad… it's not like I'm beating you senseless again!" Yusuke yelled back.

They both heard the sound of the game ending and a winner being confirmed, "Well, while you two were busy bickering I won the round," Kurama said with a little mock in his voice.

"Hey, that's not fair, you cheated!" Yusuke said and then began to pout and restarted the game.

Kurama decided he was done and went to see what Aria was doing.

"Okay guys, everything is ready, you can go sit down and start," Aria said peeking around the corner.

"Oh boy, food!" Yusuke and Kuwabara said in unison then getting up and actually running to the table.

The girls made their way to the table as a group talking about something, and Hiei after hearing the word 'food' he became oddly hungry.

Aria walked through the doorway and looked at Hiei, "Well, you coming?" she asked.

Hiei gave her an odd look but got up and proceeded to the table. He sat down in a chair next to Kurama who immediately noticed him there and tried to begin a conversation. Hiei had never really seen human food or tasted it for that matter; he looked at the food and then at Kurama and the others. Yusuke and Kuwabara were piling their plates with food and Kurama was taking very little of everything. He then began to copy Kurama and picked up what ever looked edible to him.

After a while, Hiei had managed to eat everything on his plate and then some, he felt very full. Kurama was talking to Aria and Yusuke and Kuwabara were fighting over the last roll in the basket. The girls were again in conversation and he felt that they weren't going to talk to him and he didn't really care either. He excused himself and went to his favorite room in the house, the small library, which Kurama had stacked with books, from both the Ningen and Makai worlds.

He looked through the shelves and found a book with an interesting title and began to read. Not long after Kurama came into the room, Hiei immediately noticed because something changed in the air when Kurama came near him. That's why when the two had first met, Hiei felt this and immediately thought that he was an enemy and tried to kill him. Hiei was wounded from their fight and Kurama took him back to his house and treated his wounds, they became friends when Kurama had helped him defeat the demon he was looking for. From then on the were very close and they would tell stories from when they were little to each other, Kurama always thought that Hiei's stories were better though.

"Hi Hiei, what are you doing?" Kurama asked, his soft tone made the air about the room stay the same.

"Reading a Ningen book," Hiei said holding up the book so Kurama could read the title.

"A World War II book, I don't like those much… lots of death," Kurama said picking up a book from off a table near by. He sat on the couch in the room and began to read, Hiei had balanced himself on the top of a cushioned armchair.

_Oooooo really like what happens next I hope you do too, but for this chapter please r&r and just like last time tell me if anything is wrong or needs to be fixed. And again for those of you that need the proper pronunciation it's Aria (Air-ee-a)._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Life Has Changed 

_This is where the story starts to unfold, I hope you like surprises unless you've already figured it out, though I don't see myself how anyone could have figured it out by now. Anyway please enjoy._

An hour later Kurama had left Hiei in the library and went find the girls playing the game station and the boys were drawing pictures.

"What are you two doing?" Kurama asked walking towards them.

"Urameshi said he could draw better than me and I'm going to prove him wrong." Kuwabara said concentrating on the drawing.

"Oh no!" somebody said from behind Kurama, "is that really the time… Ohmygod, I have to get home." It was Keiko, she ran around the room and grabbed her things and went to thank Aria who was watching the game from the couch.

"No problem, come back any time and visit." Aria said as Keiko walked out the door.

"Hey Kazuma you better get ready to leave because I will not wait for you, its nine and I'm getting tired." Shizuru said, yawning and stretching, then going back to her game.

"Yea, okay, sis." Kuwabara replied without really comprehending what she had said.

Kurama went and sat next to Aria then he stretched out on the couch and laid himself across Aria's lap, she gave no protest. She even began to run her finger through his hair, which slowly made him drowsy.

"Ha see, Urameshi, I win at this game!" Kuwabara said holding up his picture for all to see.

"Kuwabara, it's a stick figure, yea that's real great." Yusuke said sarcastically.

"Well let's see yours!" Kuwabara said angrily.

Yusuke gave him an angry look and held up his notebook and on the notebook was a very cruelly drawn stick figure, a drawing even worse then Kuwabara's.

Kuwabara looked like he was going to explode with laughter. "Wow, Urameshi you really beat me." Kuwabara countered sarcastically, he even began to cry, he was laughing so hard.

"C'mon, Kazuma, I'm tired, let's go." Shizuru said, getting up leaving Boton to finish alone.

"Okay, sis." Kuwabara said laughing at Yusuke all the way out the door.

"Oh man, I got to get going, what would Koenma do without me I still wonder?" Boton asked the group. She then made her wooden canoe appear, the paddle-like thing that took her between the worlds. She stepped out side closed the door and was gone.

"I should go to or my mom might start thinking that I'm drinking and doing things I shouldn't do at the age of seventeen," he said then picked up his car keys on the table at the door and was gone. The little blue blob that was Puu flew over and landed on Yusuke's head as he left.

Kurama waved good-bye as each of them left Aria nodded them all a thank you and turned the channel on the TV.

Hiei walked out of the library and looked around at the empty house, he saw Aria's fox ears twitch as he entered, he knew that she heard him enter but she didn't do anything.

"Well Hiei what do you wanna do?" Aria asked, she was still running her fingers through Kurama's hair though he had fallen asleep.

"I guess I could stay if you don't care." Hiei said walking around to the front of the couch and sitting down next to her.

"You really mellow out when Yusuke's not around don't you?" Aria asked turning the channel again. "You only seem to be at peace around youkai."

Hiei gave a hint of a smile and then it faded when he felt Aria's gaze.

"You truly don't have to hide it, Hiei, I know you like being here and you don't have to leave if you don't want to." Aria said, Kurama's silent breathing quickened then returned to normal. Aria looked down at the only person she could ever love, she reached over and caressed the gentle face then turned her attention towards Hiei once again. "Well, do you like being here or do you only come here to get away from your memories in Koorime, and what they did to you."

"I guess it's a little bit of both, I enjoy being around you and Kurama because you two can relate to my situation and I don't like to be in Makai because I really don't like the memories." Hiei said; his attention went back to the book that he had brought from the library… he was already half way done reading.

Hiei didn't know what else he could do in Ningen but read, he was ignorant to the human's ways and he often found calming in the books. They told of many things and held far more knowledge then most humans even cared to know, mostly because many humans didn't wish to know about their evil past, or that's what Hiei thought.

Aria yawned and looked at the clock, "Well. I need to go to bed or I will not wake up for work in the morning." She began to stand up and Kurama woke up looking around.

"What?" Kurama asked groggily and then getting up he dazedly followed Aria. "Good night, Hiei." He waved at his friend who was now sitting alone on the couch.

The two walked into the room and got into pajamas or what was close enough to some, Aria crawled into the large bed and pulled the covers over her person.

Kurama crawled in after her and laid a kiss on her cheek and wrapping his arms around her he was the first to fall asleep.

Hiei read the book until he himself was beginning to fall asleep he closed the book and remembered the page number. He got up and started to walk to the guest room that Aria said he could use.

He walked in and inspected the room.

It was a really simple room, the bed sheets and the bedspread matched; the same green flower pattern, there was a TV and a nightstand and a light. A window was in the room as well but the curtains were closed so the dark night couldn't penetrate into the room.

Hiei walked over to the bed and touched the soft fabric; it was so soft it felt like a cloud. He decided that he would sleep in the bed instead of the floor. He pulled off his cape and folded it up and laid it in the a chair nearby, he pulled off his boots and climbed into the bed, felt the pillow and laid his head on it. Within only a few minutes he was sleeping and once again dreaming.

It was the same dream as before but this time he knew what was going on. Everything happened as it had before the child died when he fell over the cliff and he died at the hands of the monster demon.

"Father, come find me, please find me." The childish voice said this time.

"I can't find you, you're lost to me, where do I find you?" Hiei asked

"You will find me father I know you will, I hope to see you soon." The voice said then it faded away.

This time when Hiei awoke it was dawn and the sun was rising over the mountains to greet the morning. Hiei pulled his boots and his cape on went outside to see the sky like he was used to, the morning dew cling to every plant in the yard.

He heard something to his left and looked to see three horses behind a fence staring intently at him. They asked with only their eyes to be petted, Hiei walked over and stared at the creatures. They were a magnificent example of the beauty of the human world.

He reached up and touched the soft muzzle of the first one closest to him and then the others nudged their way through to be petted. He eventually had to use both hands to keep them from starting a fight.

"You like them?" Somebody said from behind.

Hiei turned to see Aria looking at him she was dressed nice and looked ready to go to her work. She was wearing a blue bandana on her head to hold her ears down so they weren't noticed.

"They seem to like me more then I like them." Hiei said, trying to keep the animals happy by petting them. Aria walked forward and began to stroke one and let some pressure off Hiei.

"They're always here when I come out in the morning and even when I don't have to work I have to come out and pet them or they feel lonely." Aria said, she then turned to leave and walked down the path to her car. She entered and waved at Hiei, who simply watched.

"Hiei, you coming back in for food?" Kurama called.

Hiei turned away from the horses, which also walked away; they had had their love for the morning.

Hiei walked into the house and smelled something he thought smelled bad, his nose cringed at the smell.

"Sorry, Hiei, I'm not much of a cook but I try. At least I eat what I cook." Kurama said waving the burnt smell from his face.

"So that's what burnt human food smells like, I usually don't eat human food so I truly don't know many of the smells." Hiei said covering his nose with his sleeve.

"Hiei you're going to be here alone for awhile, can you handle yourself?" Kurama asked him then gave a plate of some yellow looking mush to Hiei.

"Where are you going?" Hiei asked, his tone almost demanded 'don't leave me here!'

"I have to go to school in three hours when Aria gets off her morning shift." Kurama said without turning to look at his friend.

"Well what am I supposed to do while you're gone?" Hiei asked a little aggravated.

"What ever you what just don't get yourself in trouble, please." Kurama walked from the kitchen and went somewhere down the hall.

Hiei once again looked at the plate of yellow mush. When Kurama ate it he watched him squirt some red stuff on it, then eat it without complaint. Hiei picked up the plate and walked it to the sink, and dumped the contents of the plate into it then set the plate in and walked away.

Kurama walked through the door as Hiei was doing this, "Do you not like eggs?" Kurama asked he wasn't at all hurt that Hiei didn't eat the food.

"I didn't know what it was, and I am truly not very hungry anyway." Hiei said walking past as Kurama tried to do something on his wardrobe.

Hiei went and found the book he was reading last night and once again began to read.

Kurama left three hours later but Hiei didn't even notice he was gone; the book was all too interesting.

He finished the book and then found that he was hungry, but he had never even touched human food before last night and he didn't know how you would go about preparing anything edible.

He looked at the fridge, he walked over and cautiously opened the jaws of the monster, or so that's what Hiei thought. Yet inside he found food that was left over from last night, he looked around and found the purple jiggly stuff that he had tried last night, and if could remember correctly Aria had called it Cranberry sauce. He picked it up and inspected it some more then he slowly began to eat the purple sauce, without a second thought he finished it off and found he was no longer hungry and went find another book in the library.

He had found one similar to the first and again began to read of the human's evil past. The time when there was war and mad men, and people like Adolph Hitler who killed for the sake of killing. He seemed very interested in these specific books because Kurama had told him stories of the human world but had never mentioned this in any of them.

Hiei had barely finished the second book and Aria and Kurama walked in the door.

"Hi Hiei, did you have fun by your self?" Kurama asked plopping himself down on the couch next to Hiei who seemed to pay him no mind at all. Hiei was watching the news.

"Well I guess you wouldn't know how to cook, so did you eat anything today?" Aria asked leaning against the back of the couch.

"Yes I did, I ate the rest of that stuff you called Cranberry sauce." Hiei said without any emotion.

"Oh…o-kay, I guess that works." Aria said surprised. "Well I'm going to make something for me and Kurama then, do you want something?" Aria asked.

Hiei thought a moment then involuntarily nodded. Aria shrugged and walked into the kitchen and began to cook something simple.

Kurama went and turned on the game station then picking up both controllers he handed one to Hiei. Then sat down next to him.

Hiei looked at the controller then questioningly at Kurama who was paying no mind to Hiei's questioning looks.

"What am I supposed to be doing?" Hiei asked.

"Just do as I tell you. " Kurama said smiling. He started up the game, and set it up for the two to play.

Hiei did exactly as he was told and eventually got the hang of pressing the different buttons, even though Kurama continuously beat his character to living pulp.

At one point Hiei had found a special move and beat up Kurama's character in that one round.

Aria came out of the kitchen, to find Hiei actually playing the game. His character didn't live through the match very long but Hiei didn't seem to care. To both boys the game had to do with violence and gore which made the game all the more interesting.

She walked over and set the food in front of their faces, they both flinched they were too engulfed in the game to see that she had come back out.

"Hiei are you having fun?" Aria said with a smile.

Hiei dropped the controller, almost as if he had just noticed he was playing a game. "I don't know anything about games," Hiei murmured.

"What?" Aria asked amused.

"I know about as much about games as I do hugs and puppies." Hiei responded louder, he then grabbed his plate of food and left the room.

Aria laughed silently.

Kurama looked on in surprise, "He seems so different lately like he's got something on his mind." Kurama said watching Hiei walk down the hall.

"You know your right." Aria said catching on, "so your asking him play was just to see, if your theory was right?"

Kurama nodded, "I think I was right he seems to be becoming softer." Kurama said without really registering it.

"Sly fox." Aria muttered amused.

Kurama gave her a cheeky grin.

Aria threw the washcloth back in the sink.

"Done," she sighed.

She walked down the hall and slowed to a stop, a feeling like something was going to happen hung loosely in the air. Aria waved the feeling away, she was tired to care.

She snuck into the bedroom and attempted to be quiet enough not to wake the sleeping Kurama.

Kurama stirred in the bed and woke up to see Aria; "So, you're finally coming to bed?" he asked groggily, "Good I was getting cold."

"Yea, I _had_ to clean first…" Aria paused and looked about the room, then finished, "Does the air seem odd to you?" Aria crawled into the bed and scooted in close to Kurama.

"No," Kurama said looking around, "but then again I'm to tired to care." Kurama wrapped his arms around Aria and fell back asleep.

Aria was awake a few more minutes wary of the odd feeling.

Sometime during the night Aria awoke, and looked around. The air was thick the odd sensation that she had felt slightly earlier. It felt like someone was in some kind of trouble.

"Kurama!?" Aria said loudly.

Kurama woke almost instantly, "What's…wrong…?" he asked his voice slowed as his senses picked up the sensation. "Is this what you meant?"

"Yea, and it's really strong now." Aria said getting out of the bed.

"What could be causing it?" he questioned following.

Aria shrugged and pulled a t-shirt from the drawer and tossed it at Kurama, she then changed into some jeans and a shirt.

She suddenly stopped, a thought occurring to her, "Who are the only people in this house?" she asked.

"Me, you and, Hiei." He answered simply.

"No other person?" Aria assured.

"No, not that I can sense." He said walking towards the door.

"So, if we're not in any danger than that leaves…" she paused and looked at Kurama.

"Hiei!" they both said in unison, Aria dashed out the door Kurama only a second behind.

Aria opened the door ready for anything.

Hiei was on the floor clutching his stomach.

"Something's wrong with me." Hiei gasped, and then was silenced by pain.

Kurama pushed his way past Aria into the room he was down at Hiei's side; he inspected his friend but couldn't find the source of his pain.

Hiei sat on the floor trying to keep his composure, but only meet failure and more pain.

"I'll go ask Koenma if he knows what's wrong." Kurama suggested he was about to get up and leave, when he felt Hiei grab hold of his arm.

"Don't leave me!" Hiei pleaded, "Not alone."

"You won't be alone, Aria is here with you, and she's probably better at this kind of situation then me." Kurama said continuing out the door.

Aria watched Kurama leave then turned towards Hiei she bent down in front of him and placed her hand on his shoulder. Closing her eyes she transferred some of her energy into his body, helping to calm some of his pain.

Hiei began to breath normally for the moment.

A few minutes later Kurama wandered back in confused. "Koenma wants to talk to you Aria he wouldn't talk to me, but if he yells at you than I guess I was lucky." Kurama noticed Hiei and looked at Aria.

Aria shook her head no and proceeded to the doorway, while Kurama helped Hiei to the bed.

"I might have an idea anyway." Aria said as she walked out the door.

"An idea of what?" Hiei asked.

"Of what's wrong with you and why it's happening." Aria said going out of sight. "And Hiei be aware that my power transfer won't last very long."

She went into the living room and pulled open the briefcase that had a TV and receiver for communication, she pressed a button and it turned on.

"Okay can you tell me why you have awoken me in such an early hour?" Koenma asked, he was in pajamas and was holding a teddy bear.

"Um… nice bear." Aria laughed.

"Just answer the question!" Koenma demanded hiding the teddy bear under the desk.

"Well…" Aria paused and thought a moment; "I want you to get me every book on Syronocus Demons." Aria said.

"Syronocus demons…you know what they are right…" Koenma shuddered.

"I know but I think that's what's happening to Hiei." Aria said shaking her head.

"Well I'll see what I can find." Koenma said turning off the receiver.

Aria nodded at him before he left and closed the briefcase then walked into the back room.

As she entered, Kurama was falling asleep, and Hiei was asleep from exhaustion.

'_The power transfer will wear off any time now._' Aria thought to herself looking over Hiei's sleeping form.

Just as Kurama had fully fallen asleep the doorbell rang, Aria jumped up to get it.

Boton was standing in her door with three books in her hands yawning.

"Here," she said grumpily "I'm going now I don't why Koenma expects me to do every thing for him." She got on her canoe and was about to leave when Aria yelled after her:

"Thanks Boton!"

Boton waved and then was gone from sight off to the spirit world for more sleep.

Aria wandered back to the room and sat in one of the chairs opposite the bed. She opened a book and began to read what was interesting to her cause.

Kurama was awake and watching with mock interest.

"What are you doing?" Kurama asked from the silence.

Aria jumped, but calmed quickly.

"Reading. " She answered, her heart still pounding.

"What about?" Kurama questioned.

"What might be wrong with Hiei." She answered simply.

"So what's wrong with me?" Hiei piped in. Aria once again jumped, she thought Hiei was asleep.

"Well…I think that…" Aria stuttered trying to think of a way that she could explain it that Hiei would under stand, "Have either of you ever heard of a Syronocus demon?"

"No." they both answered simply.

"Figures," Aria mumbled, "They're a very rare type of demon now-a-days, but their bodies are designed…differently…then most demons and humans for that matter. The male's body is designed like a females body, like mine, but only on the inside. "She stopped at page in the book and was silent for a moment then continued through the book.

"I don't get it." Hiei said, his voice straining to not let his pain appear.

"Well…most females are designed for bearing children, while a male Syronocus is designed for bearing children. The female doesn't give birth to the baby in a sense…the males do." Aria cautioned the last words.

"What?!!!!" Hiei exclaimed bolting up right, forgetting about his rising pain.

Kurama was just as shocked as Hiei he sat motionless staring into space.

"Well that's my theory anyway, I could be wrong. The male's body never changes during the child's growth and when growth is over and the baby wants out, the male experiences strenuous pain. The female when noticing this sets to work on retrieving the baby, by cutting open the male's body and then usually leaves the male to die on his own. You've seemed so different now a days that I had my suspicions, but I always told myself I was wrong." Aria said as she read the book.

"What gave you that theory?" Kurama had to ask.

"I'm a female…demon…we can sense these things, but didn't really become a huge feeling until before I went to bed. Also I studied a lot of these things, I was really interested when we were thieves…remember." Aria explained. "But also I could wrong…and you could be infected with something, or have some disease."

"That's real encouraging." Kurama muttered, looking to his friend.

Hiei said nothing he was in shock and didn't even notice that Aria's power transfer was wearing thin.

"That's what's wrong with me?" he asked oddly calm.

"I _think_ so." Aria said closing the first book and opening the second.

After going through the second book rather quickly, she closed the book looked at the third then at Hiei, whose body was once again wreathing in pain.

"Well Hiei, what do you wanna do?" Aria asked putting her elbows on her knees and leaning on her hands.

"Help me!" Hiei demanded.

"Kay, lets do it then." Aria said walking out of the room and then returning with a bunch of white towels.

"Why white they'll be stained like no tomorrow." Kurama said getting up from the chair.

"Because I can bleach white." Aria countered.

"So tell me, what's causing this?" Hiei asked, unenthusiastically.

"There _might_ a child inside you… a baby, if you will. I don't how or why this could happen but it has. I don't even know how your body is holding together after this strain, it's not designed for this kind of thing." Aria said, "Where have you been the last two years that's my big question for the day."

"I don't remember anything." Hiei said falling into an unconscious sleep.

She ushered Kurama out of the room.

"Wait! I can't stay!!" Kurama demanded.

"Nope." Was her simple answer then she proceeded with what she was going to do.

When she finished prepping herself and the room, Hiei had fallen unconscious.

"This is good." She murmured.

She thought a moment before she went to work though thinking about the breed of demon Hiei was anyway. A Koorime, maybe like his female counterparts he was supposed to reproduce on his own.

o.O ._ I really hope that was a big enough surprise for all you readers but if you don't like it then I don't mind if you criticize because at least I know you read it he he O.o Please R&R I really want to know what you think and if it's good enough to continue with, though I probably will anyway whether you tell me to or not he he._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: A New Life 

_This chapter is where it gets a little weird Hiei is defiantly different and he goes into recounting his past while he is deciding, oops shouldn't give it away. Hope you like it. -_

Hiei awoke, and the sun was rising, nobody was in the room.

He sat up and his stomach protested the movement, he looked down to see white bandages covering his mid section.

"What?" he questioned coarsely.

The door suddenly opened and Aria walked in, "Hiei, your awake?" she asked stunned.

"What happened? How long have I been out?" he countered, he cautiously stood up from the support of the bed.

"For about five hours. You shouldn't get up." Aria muttered aloud.

Hiei ignored the comment and started toward the window something near it had caught his attention. The source of his curiosity was a small bed by the window.

He looked inside the bed and saw a tiny child.

The babe's hair was pure white and he too had a Jagan, though it was closed, a sign the small child was sleeping peacefully. His skin was a light tan color, and his body so small and fragile.

Hiei's curiosity only rose: he reached in the bed and took hold of the child's tiny hand.

"It's so tiny." Hiei murmured.

"And _he_ came from you." Aria added watching carefully.

"Really." Hiei said emotionless. "So your theory was correct."

"Yeah." She said quietly.

Hiei just looked down at the child.

Aria smiled and left the room.

Just as Aria left Kurama walked in, he smiled at her as she walked by. He looked into the room and saw Hiei; he walked over and stood next to him.

"What will you name him?" Kurama asked holding out an apple to Hiei.

Hiei resisted the apple and then said, "Name him…I wont keep him."

Kurama looked at Hiei shocked then responded, "What will you do?"

"Leave him somewhere maybe you two can keep him, or I could simply kill him that would be the easiest thing for us all." Hiei said wandering over to the chair and retrieving his katana sword.

"Hiei you can't, it's just a baby!" Kurama exclaimed.

"Well what do I do with it?" Hiei asked emotionless, as he walked back over to the small bed by the window.

"Will you truly become that of which you despise so much?" Kurama asked his voice stern. "Your demonic race dropped you off the edge of your homeland, they wanted _you_ dead." Kurama paused and Hiei finished:

"And so they sent me away, the cursed fire child of the ice land Koorime. They would have killed me but my mother saved me." Hiei's fist clenched the katana tighter, "I can't even remember her face."

"And you hate them for it…will you become as bad as they were?" Kurama asked walking closer to Hiei.

"I don't know how to love I've never been loved!!" Hiei yelled, he pulled the katana from its sheath and raised it above the bed.

The baby had been asleep but when Hiei yelled, the small child awoke and started to cry.

Something deep inside Hiei's mind clicked on, these feelings made him stop the sword's progress.

"I won't tell you what to do…or stop you. I just thought you should know." Kurama said.

The baby's crying had completely taken over Hiei's mind he was lost in his own thoughts and the child's crying echoed through his head. It rang in his ears and was slowly causing him to see something he had never seen before.

Something told him to take the child in his arms and quell it's crying. Without a second thought he dropped the sword and sheath it clanged as it hit the ground.

He reached for the child, and then stopped and thought to himself, '_What am I doing?_' then his dream replayed itself through his head.

'_Ice!'_ a voice demanded.

'_No!'_ Hiei demanded back to the voice.

"Kobe." Hiei whispered.

Hiei's hands moved forward again, and this time reached the child. He took hold of the baby and pulled the tiny body close to his chest and felt the tiny heart beat against his own. The baby's crying slowed then ceased.

Aria had been watching from the doorway. She smiled and walked away. The rising sun behind Hiei lit up his silhouette.

Kurama smiled at his friend.

Hiei held the child as if it was the last tie to this world.

That night Hiei slept soundly, he was still exhausted from his earlier ordeal. While Hiei slept the child started to cry, craving for some attention.

Hiei awoke tiredly and climbed out of bed to the side of the crib and peered inside. The child cried as if something was wrong, but a sense told Hiei that the baby only wanted comfort. He reached inside and picked up the child, but he continued to cry. Hiei walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. He spotted the cushioned chair in the corner and wandered over to it sitting down. He leaned back and held the bawling child at arms length.

"What do I do with you?" Hiei questioned as if the baby would answer. Instead the child continued to cry.

Hiei wanted the crying to stop and he tried few positions, some were uncomfortable to himself and the baby, but what ever he tried the child continued to cry.

A thought suddenly hit Hiei, when he had first picked up the child earlier he held him close to his chest and the baby's crying stopped then.

He thought about it a moment then laid the child on his chest and he felt comfortable but he questioned whether Kobe did, because he continued to cry. After a few moments Kobe's crying stopped as he fell back asleep.

"What am I going to do, I don't know how to love let alone be a parent." Hiei said as his mind ran through memories, "I know nothing about this, what happens if I were to lose you or something happens I don't know how to do this."

Hiei wondered, but he soon reached over to the bed and pulled off the blanket and wrapped it around himself and Kobe and he too fell asleep.

The next day Hiei awoke and Kobe was still sleeping soundly. Hiei looked over Kobe, his body seemed so small and fragile and his hair was an odd color, pure white.

"Why me of all people…why?" he whispered, the child stirred but didn't awaken.

It was nearly noon, and Aria wandered in the room she held in her hand some kind of object Hiei couldn't figure out what though.

"Hey good to see you're awake." Aria said she looked over at Hiei, he seemed so ragged.

Hiei said nothing but watched as Aria came closer.

"Well, let me see him for a moment, you can have him back in a minute." Aria said she held her arms for the child.

Hiei looked at her, then down at Kobe, who was in fact still sleeping. But he lifted the child off his chest and he handed him lightly to Aria, he wasn't to sure, but he convinced himself it was better this way because Aria was a female and she was likely the better person to handle the child.

Aria held the baby rocking back and forth.

"Hey little guy." Aria said when he awoke from being moved.

He looked up at Aria with amber eyes.

"Aww," Aria cooed, "He has your eyes Hiei." She held up the strange object and placed it near his mouth.

Hiei noticed the cup type thing she had was closed at the top by a tan rubber stop.

Aria held the bottle to the baby's mouth and he took it hungrily.

"What is that exactly?" Hiei couldn't help but ask.

"This?" Aria said motioning towards the bottle. "It's called a bottle, this is how you would feed a new born baby, because they can't just eat solid food on they're own they're too little."

Hiei stood up and wandered out of the room and down to the kitchen where he pulled out of the cabinet a glass and he filled it with water and looked out the kitchen window, he didn't even notice Kurama come in the room.

"Good afternoon, Hiei." Kurama said looking over his friend.

Hiei said nothing but nodded his acknowledgement to his friend.

"So you've decided you want to keep him?" Kurama asked.

Hiei thought about his answer, "Yes,"

"I'm glad you're not going to kill him." Kurama responded to his friend.

"I'm not going to be just like the people who hated me." Hiei retorted.

Kurama only nodded but he saw something click inside Hiei's head that day and he knew Hiei couldn't kill his own flesh and blood, or that's what Kurama wanted to believe.

Aria walked into the room empty bottle in hand.

"Hello boys." She said simply.

Kurama looked at the bottle in her hand and then started down the hallway, and Hiei followed him without really knowing he was doing so.

Aria turned to find the room empty of its former inhabitants.

Hiei wandered into the room to find Kurama looking down in the crib.

"He's so tiny." Kurama said.

Hiei walked over to stand next to his friend; he looked down at the sleeping child.

Aria stood silently in the doorway.

Kurama watched with an amused smile as Hiei reached down and lifted the child's tiny hand in his.

The months passed slowly for Hiei as Aria attempted to teach him how to care for a small child, but eventually one year passed, and sooner then Hiei had expected.

Aria told Hiei several times that parenting was a 'learn as you go' thing, though he didn't really understand at first. But he slowly got the idea that a parent does what ever feels right, though Aria did give him some of her own pointers.

"Why don't you and Kurama have any children?" Hiei asked one day, while Aria played with Kobe on the living room floor.

"I want to wait a while before we have any children. Our wedding is coming up soon, and I want the best for my children…so I want to make sure that we can support them." Aria said, "And also they would be half demon. I don't know what that would do to them. Kurama was able to live that way, and I didn't know, and when I did learn I was able to control my magic enough to help myself. But children that don't and wouldn't be able to use magic that's a different story," an almost pained look crossed her face.

Kobe crawled towards Aria and smiled and lifted him into her arms, pinching his nose, and kissed his forehead.

The oven dinged that it was done and Aria set Kobe down on the floor and went to get dinner.

Kobe watched her go then his gaze fell upon Hiei, who was sitting on the couch, he crawled over to his father, and used his leg as a support to stand on his own.

He laughed at Hiei, who could help but smile back, he'd never been able to stop himself when the child laughed.

The child bounced a few times still using Hiei's leg as a support then fell to the floor.

Hiei jerked forward, and saw as the child's face contorted, and he started to cry.

Hiei reached over and pulled him up into his lap.

"It's alright, you're okay." Hiei said wiping away the child's tears. "See."

Kobe looked at his father; his eyes still a little wet. He leaned against Hiei's chest, and rested his head in the crook of his neck.

Hiei wrapped an arm around the child, and used the other hand to flip to the news channel.

For some reason Hiei loved the news, and the newspaper.

Kobe changed as he grew his hair stayed the same color but his skin tone lightened and his eyes remained the same too, the same as his father's, but what puzzled Hiei the most was this child had a Jagan, a third eye that Hiei had to have implanted into his skull. But this child was born with it. Kobe's hair was short and spiked by itself, except for a piece in the front that was a little longer than the rest. It was Aria haircut job and she was quite proud of it.

"Dad?" Kobe questioned looking into his bowl of cereal.

"What?" Hiei didn't look up from the paper he was reading.

"When do you think you can take me to that place you called Makai?" Kobe was now over two years old and he was growing fast, but only because he was a demon.

Also Hiei usually had nothing better to do during the day, but teach the child to fight, and talk fluently.

"I don't know."

Kobe was used to the fact that his father said few words, and that he was very aloof but Kobe always wondered why.

Kurama walked in the door and was immediately met by Kobe.

"Uncle Kurama!" Kobe squealed and he jumped into Kurama's arms.

"Well, good morning." Kurama said he had just gotten back from his morning job.

Kurama walked towards the kitchen, and Kobe saw Hiei standing in the doorway, he transferred from Kurama's arms to Hiei's in a single jump.

Hiei looked at his son, then set him down on the floor, and ruffled his hair. Kobe smiled then ran into the living room to find his toys.

"Hiei don't you think it's time that you took him into Makai, you two have been here more then two years now, and I can tell that you don't want to spend too much longer here." Kurama said pouring a glass of water.

"This human world, it smells. But its safer then Makai there is relatively no danger that I couldn't handle here." Hiei said as Kobe came back with a soft doll of some kind.

"Here, dad." He said before going back into the living room.

Hiei watched his son wander back into the other room, "I just don't know what if something happens what do I do then?" Hiei asked, looking at the toy in his hand.

Kurama shrugged, "If something bad happens you can always bring him back here."

Hiei thought about it then he too shrugged.

Kurama and Hiei walked into the living room after Kobe who was sitting on the floor playing by himself as he done for two years.

Kurama wandered over and started to play with the child as well.

Hiei only watched from the doorway, he had played with his son so many times when Kurama and Aria were out; he had lost count long ago. He decided then that tonight he would take Kobe to the demon world and find a way to protect the child and in the midst train him.

Aria got home from work later on she played with Kobe a while then she started dinner when Hiei wandered into the room.

"Hey Hiei, how goes it?" She asked.

"I've decided I'm taking Kobe into Makai with me tonight." Hiei said simply.

Aria turned to look at him, "But he's still so little you don't wait until he's older?"

Hiei shook his head no; "It would be easier on us both to take him now because I can train him without much resistance,"

Aria thought about it, but she never could change Hiei's mind.

"Well you should know that our home is always open to you and Kobe, kay?" Aria said throwing some kind of noodles into a pot.

"We'll get going then." Hiei said.

"You're not staying for dinner?" Aria asked about to put some more noodles into the pot.

Hiei shook his head, "I think I want him to eat demon food."

Aria shrugged.

"Alright, I guess I'll see you around?" Aria questioned.

Hiei nodded slightly as he left the kitchen.

"Does she know?" Kurama asked as Hiei walked out.

Hiei nodded. "You ready to go Kobe?"

"But daddy, where are we going?" Kobe couldn't help but asked.

"You'll see when we get there." Hiei said going to the door.

"Good bye my friend." Kurama said quietly.

Hiei walked out without a word and lifted Kobe into his shoulders and jumped into the nearest tree to escape prying eyes. Kobe pulled close to his father's cape sure to not let go afraid to fall.

Hiei reached Koenma's castle without much difficulty and now it was just getting in to see Koenma so he could cross the spiritual barrier between the two worlds.

Boton was the first to greet him when he walked up to the gates.

"Hiei what are you doing here…"She laughed glad to see her old friend, "Hiei you've gotten taller."

Hiei had in fact gotten taller since the dark tournament; he now almost rivaled Kurama and was just as tall or taller than Yusuke.

She saw the tiny bundle sleeping in his arms. "Hiei did you rescue this child…Hiei I didn't know you had it in you."

"No, I would just like to see Koenma so I can get into the other realm." Hiei said annoyed.

"But what about the kid what are you going to do with him…you're not going to kill him are you…Hiei you can't do that!" Boton said getting frightened.

Kobe slowly stirred and awoke from the entire ruckus and looked at the lady Hiei was talking to.

"Dad, who's that?" Kobe asked.

Boton looked at the small child and then up at Hiei.

"Dad?" Boton questioned confused.

"Yes!" Hiei said annoyed.

Boton was still confused she didn't understand.

"When…how?" she asked.

"Two years ago and I don't know how." Hiei retorted. "Can I go now?!"

"Oh, yes come on I'll take you there." Boton said turning on her heels but glancing back at Hiei and Kobe at random.

"Who is that, Dad?" Kobe questioned softer this time.

Her name is Boton; she's the guardian of the river Styx and the guide to newly dead souls. Hiei said to his son through his Jagan.

Kobe nodded and only partially understanding what his father had just said.

After a few minutes Hiei placed Kobe on the ground so he could walk on his own, though Kobe clutched to his fathers sleeve tightly.

Boton waved off a few prying eyes who knew Hiei, including a band of demon thieves that Hiei had once worked with long ago.

Reaching Koenma's room Boton entered and bowed low but Hiei did not, which made Boton a little angry.

"Oh, hello, Hiei, what is it now?" Koenma asked he was still reading the long orders from his father but still somehow knew who was in the room.

"Koenma, we're trying to get to the demon realm, can you get us past the gate?" Hiei said monotone.

"What do you mean by us, I don't sense another presence?" Koenma said looking up from his paper work. "My, Hiei, you've gotten taller since the last time I saw you… it's odd and yet a good thing, but strange to look at." Koenma muttered.

Kobe ducked behind his father when Koenma's gaze fell upon him.

Koenma stood up and floated out from behind his desk and looked at the small boy behind Hiei.

Kobe thought it safe to peek around his father again but he found that the small man was now closer and looking at him.

"Hiei, who is this child why is he here?" Koenma asked following Kobe around Hiei's legs. Kobe ran around to the front of Hiei and buried his face into the front of Hiei's cape.

Hiei looked down at Kobe then at Koenma who had come back around and was looking at the child.

Kobe turned and saw the man once again staring at him, his eyes grew wide and he reached up for Hiei to pick him up and save him from the little man only about his same size.

Hiei rolled his eyes and reached down and lifted Kobe into his arms, when Kobe was up higher he felt a little safer.

"Hiei?" Koenma questioned again coming up to Hiei's level.

"…This is Kobe…" Hiei answered angrily.

"Kobe?" Koenma tested the name.

"He's Hiei's son." Said an unknown voice from the door.

All turned to find Yusuke standing in the door.

"Yusuke?" Koenma questioned, "Oh, right, your assignment…wait…son?"

Kobe saw Yusuke and smiled ear to ear, he leaped out of Hiei's arms and ran to Yusuke.

"Hey little man." Yusuke said picking up Kobe and ruffling the child's hair. Kobe giggled happily.

"Hello, spirit detective." Hiei said with a slight menacing smile. Hiei in a flash of movement pulled his sword and watched as Yusuke with Kobe still in his hands, dodged every attack then caught the sword with his fingers.

"Hello Hiei." Yusuke said.

Hiei stared at Yusuke then he smiled almost evilly.

"Stop!!" Koenma yelled at the top of his lungs, which made the room shudder. "Okay someone please explain to me who this child is and why are you all standing at my door?" Koenma asked the ogres that were standing in the doorframe watching the chaos.

They immediately dispersed.

"Okay…now tell me Hiei who is this child again?" Koenma asked again.

"This is Kobe, he's my…son." Hiei said.

Kobe was laughing at the faces Yusuke was making about Koenma; even Boton couldn't help but giggle.

"Yusuke, stop that." Koenma said calmly. "Now for that I'm sending you on your way."

Koenma explained to Yusuke his new assignment.

"You see, there's an evil demon scientist in Makai that I would like you to find, she hates men so be careful and she's turning them into god knows what, but she must be stopped. She's set her sights on humans and spirits now she wants to rid the world of the man and either kill them or make them into women themselves. Hiei, I want you to stay, I would like to talk to you."

"It's always a evil scientist or someone who wants to take over the world." Yusuke said.

Hiei had already thought about going with Yusuke it seemed like the perfect way to train Kobe and he didn't want to stay here and listen to a lecture.

"Now you may go, Yusuke." Koenma said looking down at his notes.

Hiei sighed angrily and followed Yusuke out the door.

"Now, Hiei, cou-…where did he go?"

Boton shrugged she had been fixing things in the room when they left.

Hiei walked along side Yusuke simply watching as he allowed the child to play around with his face.

They reached the gates to the demon realm and Yusuke held up a paper and the guards moved away, though Hiei recognized one as the guard he had knocked unconscious when he arrived to get into the human realm two years prior. They stepped out into the barrier and walked through it, they walked into the biggest city of Makai, Jahavo.

Demons were everywhere but they mostly minded their own business.

"You're really going to stick out here, detective," Hiei mumbled.

"Yeah, I know," Yusuke retorted.

Yusuke set Kobe on the ground and looked in every direction.

"Well, we better get out of here," Hiei said noticing the demons were taking noticed of Yusuke.

Yusuke hastily agreed and the three started for the forest.

When they reached the edge of the forest they looked into the deep darkness within.

"You ready for this detective?" Hiei asked.

"Well, whatever." Yusuke said walking into the forest. "Koenma said to get to the river and from there that the tracker should work."

Hiei said nothing but listened.

They walked through the forest occasionally seeing meager demons run for cover at the sight of anything in their forest.

Kobe was running around looking at everything in sight, at one point Hiei had grabbed the child and pulled him away from a poisonous biting plant.

'_If Kurama was here he could make the dangerous plants die or disappear.'_ Hiei thought setting Kobe back on the ground.

Soon they came to the Said River and rested their tired feet while Yusuke looked over his tracking device.

Kobe ran into the water and splashed around happily.

Hiei had disappeared sometime ago and hadn't returned yet. But unknown to Yusuke and Kobe, Hiei was watching from the tree just above their heads. He watched as Kobe frolicked through the water attempting to catch some fish who were scared out of their minds, but not one succeeded, but that never made him frustrated either, he continued to try.

Hiei jumped to the ground silently and tossed into Yusuke's lap a piece of demonic fruit.

Yusuke jumped but settled quickly.

He looked at the fruit in his hand and then at Hiei who was now attempting to get Kobe to come out of the water and eat. He took a bite and found it to taste like an orange; he ate the rest of it happily.

Kobe saw Hiei standing at the edge of the water calling his name and he came to see what his father had.

Hiei looked at the soaked child and picked him up by the hood of his cape and set him on the ground. He handed the fruit to Kobe and then walked him over to a rock where Hiei could dry him off a little.

Yusuke watched as Hiei rung out the child's cape and at one point took the sleeve of his own cape and rubbed some of the water out of the child's hair. Yusuke said nothing but watched with interest, Hiei had never acted this way whenever he was at Aria's house with him. After an hour passed the three set out again.

Kobe was curious of everything and ran up to a flesh eating Venus Fly Trap, and Hiei had to grab Kobe before he was eaten.

Kobe, though, didn't know he was in danger, only that his father kept pulling him away from the fun things. This really made Hiei want to have Kurama around.

Kobe walked up Hiei and looked up him then tugged lightly on his father's sleeve.

"Dad." Kobe mumbled, "My feet hurt and I'm tired."

Hiei stopped for a moment and thought about what he should do, he came to an almost immediate conclusion. He lifted Kobe effortlessly onto his back where Kobe rode and eventually fell asleep.

Yusuke and Hiei walked for hours until the sun faded away and out of sight behind the mountains.

"We should rest somewhere for the night." Yusuke said.

Hiei stopped and looked around, the trees above them looked okay for the night.

"C'mon, detective, follow me…if you can," Hiei said with a slight smirk.

Hiei then jumped into the tree above them and was out of sight Yusuke attempted to follow, but found himself alone until he finished climbing to the top of the trees.

"Why come all the way up here?" Yusuke questioned breathlessly, he watched as Hiei settled the still sleeping child into a niche in the tree branches.

"Because there are things down there that are usually hungry at night. This isn't the Ningen world, here human meat is a delicacy, and even small demon children. You've been here before, detective, you should know this," Hiei said simply.

Yusuke felt like he had been hit with the 'Dumbass' brick and Hiei had been the one to throw it happily. But Hiei wasn't annoyed, and come to think of it Hiei had never really gotten annoyed at him or Kurama, or anybody for that matter, maybe Kuwabara once or twice, but that was a given, seeing as Kuwabara had an inflated head, but other than that no one else. Even Kobe hadn't annoyed him yet; Yusuke was starting to see how Hiei _could_ have the patience of a saint. Though when Hiei did get angry, everyone was in danger.

Yusuke settled himself between two branches that seemed relatively safe; he fell asleep fast and without much problem.

Hiei watched for a while then looked up at the starry sky, he had missed being able to look up at the stars at night.

As he watched he found himself falling into the disadvantage of sleep.

Sometime during the night Kobe awoke cold and shivering. He glanced around and then at his father who was sleeping peacefully. He crawled silently over to Hiei and sat a foot away shivering himself senseless; he curled up into a ball. As he did a small branch broke and fell down into the abyss below.

Hiei awoke in an instant and looked around he noted that Yusuke was still sleeping and hanging half off his branch, but Kobe seemed to be missing from his assigned spot. Hiei glanced around quickly and saw the small bundle curled up next to him but not touching him, so as not to annoy his sleeping father. Hiei gazed down at the tiny child and carefully touched the cloak on his back.

Kobe started and glanced up at Hiei, tears were streaming down his face but he made no sound. Kobe saw it was only his father and leapt onto his arm.

Hiei could feel the child shivering, and pulled him off his arm and into his lap where Kobe dug his cold face into Hiei's black cloak. He simply sighed and shook his head all the while unwrapping his cloak and then wrapping them both in it. Even two years later he wasn't sure why he had kept the child, but in some ways he was glad he had.

Kobe continued to shiver until he fell asleep and then he snoozed happily. Hiei found he couldn't get back to sleep after that for an hour, so he watched the things around him.

The nocturnal animals and demons could be heard in the distance and the leaves swayed slightly in the silent breeze. He remembered the peace of Makai and for sometime he had missed the feeling of pure silence.

_This chapter was a little weird it goes beyond Hiei's…oh I don't know…what's the word…compassion…? I guess…anyway…I changed Hiei's personality a little. O.o I know. Oh and for those that don't know Hiei is…22 at the moment which means when Kobe was born he was 19 and in the series he was 16. Ta da… isn't math fun?_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Training Day

_HOLA to all, it's me again, here's some things to come. Kobe has fun in the out doors, Yusuke doesn't know how to sleep in a tree, and Hiei learns a thing or two from a two year old, but there's many things for Hiei still to learn. But will he be able too? Questions questions…wonderful questions…tehe._

Hiei awoke the next morning to find Kobe still sleeping soundly and Yusuke about to fall out off of his branch, but still snoring.

Hiei didn't move he just let Kobe sleep and found himself looking into the rising sun.

"Dad?" a tiny voice questioned.

Hiei looked down at the child in his lap and found the inquisitive red brown eyes staring into his own. Kobe was almost Hiei's double except for his hair.

Kobe looked out into the sun and squinted to see beyond it but he couldn't see what his father had been looking at.

"What's out there?" Kobe asked.

"Everything is out there you just have to find it." Hiei answered automatically.

Kobe looked around the forest seeing the birds and bugs flying by he thought of more questions to ask his father but decided on a different one.

"Dad, where are we going?"

"We're going to fight," Hiei said almost happily.

"Are we going to kill?" Kobe asked.

"Yes, I'm going to show you how," Hiei answered quickly, "So that you can defend yourself."

Kobe just gazed off into the distance. He had never been taught how to fight but had only seen his father and Uncle Kurama spar every once in a while to keep their skills honed.

Yusuke suddenly twitched and fell from the branch he had been _hanging_ off and down onto the next one, then he fell from that one to next one, and it was about then that he awoke to find himself falling through the air and hitting the ground where he stayed to regain his air, his shaken brain, and a little of his dignity.

"Graceful." Hiei said landing next to him.

"Yea…I know…wasn't it?" Yusuke said with a mocking smile.

Hiei set Kobe on the ground and again started walking; they were following a tracking device, which meant they had no idea which way they were traveling. Though if it was night Hiei would have been able to tell by the stars.

"Hey, Hiei, have you ever been to this part of the forest?" Yusuke asked.

"I might have been when I was younger but I don't remember much about my childhood," Hiei said fixing Kobe's cloak unconsciously.

Kobe broke away again to see the flowers up ahead on the path. Hiei watched carefully making sure that these flowers weren't going to eat his son.

The hours passed by so slowly for Yusuke with Hiei not being very talkative, and Kobe just running around looking at stuff, then all he really could do was lead the little group onward.

"Hiei…" Yusuke said trying to start some kind of conversation.

"Mm…" was the only response.

But Yusuke stopped there; he wasn't sure what to say.

"Have you ever seen your homeland?" asked Yusuke finally.

"No," Hiei said simply.

Yusuke sighed.

"Have you ever even heard any rumors about it? Like what is it like and things like that?" Yusuke asked again.

"I hear rumors about an ice land called Koorime, and as far as I've been able to gather, that's where I'm from, because Yukina, is from Koorime," Hiei said more or less wanting to shut Yusuke up.

"But you don't remember anything about it?"

"I don't remember what the place itself looked like, though I remember my mother's face and the faces of the people who sent me to my death. The two people I can't forget are my mother and her friend who dropped me from the cliff, Rina. She was the one who told me to continue to live and find a way to pay back these people who had wanted me dead. She told me to prove to them that I _was_ the bad omen they cast me away for." Hiei smiled slyly.

"So once you find them you're going to kill them all?"

"Maybe, I haven't decided that far ahead yet, but I want to see my mother." Hiei said. He then stopped talking completely almost as if he was just realizing that he was talking about the things that had swimming around inside his head for a while.

Hiei glanced ahead and barely had enough time to run over and stop Kobe from touching a very poisonous plant.

"Don't ever touch this plant, Kobe," Hiei explained, lifting his son to his eye level by the back of his cloak. He set the child back down again carefully. "You see the red and black spines on the petals… they'll send poison into your body and kill you fast."

Kobe nodded.

Hiei turned Kobe away from the plant and made him follow Yusuke who had stopped to listen and then continued on.

Kobe ran on a little further and then turned to his father and looked up at him with inquisitive eyes.

"Father, what's poison mean?" he asked innocently.

"It's something that will either kill you or make you very sick," Hiei explained.

Kobe nodded a little confused; he'd been sick before but why would a plant make you sick.

"But Uncle Kurama touches plants all the time," Kobe said harmlessly.

"Yes, but Uncle Kurama won't get sick when he touches plants, you will so don't touch it," Hiei said calmly.

"Uncle Kurama?" Yusuke questioned.

Hiei gave Yusuke a deadly glare, one that would have made anything cower, and Yusuke turned away.

"But why doesn't Uncle Kurama get sick when he touches plants, he's just like me right?" Kobe inquired.

"Kurama can make them not poisonous when he touches them, so he's always safe from them." Hiei said; he hadn't once looked at Kobe during the entire conversation.

Kobe nodded again; he was still quite confused, but it hurt him a little that Hiei just stared straight ahead, and wouldn't even look at him, when he was talking to him. It was always like this when someone else was around. Kobe looked towards Yusuke and knew that it was Yusuke that was making his father so distant towards him. He almost wished that Yusuke would go away so his father wouldn't worry about his pride and who was watching.

"Dad?" Kobe questioned.

"What?" Hiei said, again he didn't even turn his head.

Kobe stopped, and stared.

"Why do you do that?" Kobe asked. He was a smart kid. He knew what his father was doing, but he didn't know why, why did he have to have such a big ego. Why couldn't he have been like all the other dads Kobe saw at the park, why wouldn't he give hugs, or say goodnight, or be normal.

Hiei turned his head, a little concerned. "What do you mean?" he asked stopping and finally looking at the child.

Yusuke stopped, too.

"You go on ahead, detective, we'll catch up," Hiei said, hearing Yusuke's footsteps halt.

Yusuke shrugged and continued going knowing what this might be about.

Hiei turned and walked back towards Kobe who was a good twenty feet behind.

"Why do you do that to me?" Kobe asked again, his little face contorted into a scowl, though it wasn't very threatening.

"Please elaborate," Hiei said.

Kobe's face turned to one of confusion and he looked up at his father, "Huh?" he asked confused, he wasn't that smart, and big words still did confuse him.

"What am I doing to you, Kobe?" Hiei asked bending down on one knee so as to be level with the small child.

"When ever someone else is around, you never look at me, and you never hug me, or tell me goodnight, or play with me at the park. You don't do anything that a daddy should do…why?" Kobe spat out.

Hiei was a little taken back, it was true that his son was very smart, and that he learned very fast from his surroundings, but this question was a little off the wall.

"I don't understand, what am I doing wrong?" Hiei asked stupidly.

Kobe glared at Hiei; and it would have menacing, if only he wasn't so small and adorable; this made Hiei smile inwardly. But Kobe was far from amused; in fact Kobe started to cry.

Hiei wasn't sure exactly what he'd done.

"Kobe, I don't know what I've done to upset you, but we need to catch up with Yusuke," Hiei said standing up and turning away.

Kobe watched Hiei go a little further, and still being afraid of being by himself, he wouldn't be left behind, but as he walked he sniffled to clear his nose.

Hiei glanced back every so often to see if the child was still there, and sure enough he always was. This made Hiei relieved.

Despite what he'd said, he did know what the boy was talking about, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to talk about it. He didn't know how to tell Kobe that he didn't know how exactly to be a father, as many times as Aria told him that it was a learn as you go thing. He still didn't really get it, Aria had told him numerous times that the day would come when Kobe would want to know, why he was so distant and Kobe probably would take it well enough. Hiei was in fact Kobe's father, and Kobe couldn't possibly be angry with him for long, at least that was Hiei's reasoning. She had also told him that a day would come, when Kobe would need his help, and Hiei would have to step up and take the responsibility of helping him…the responsibility of being a father, that loved, and cared. Or Hiei would lose his beloved child.

Hiei hadn't taken her seriously then but now this made him think about it.

Aria had told him many wise things about raising a child, even though she had none of her own. She always told Hiei it was a motherly instinct thing. But sometimes Hiei still believed the child would have been better off with the fox demons. But he also knew that someday Kobe would question and then the truth would have to come out.

It was still hard to explain what happened that day when Hiei heard the child cry for the first time, again Aria told him, that his paternal instinct was kicking in and that he wasn't able to help himself. Hiei claimed the day she told him, that he didn't have such a feeling, but Aria's only response was ask him: 'Then what stopped the sword's progress that day?'

That question had always irked him, and even Aria irked him sometimes, which was really hard to do, but the damn fox always spoke in riddles.

As Hiei was lost in his thoughts, he didn't see Yusuke right in front of him, and knocked into the human, and looked around startled.

"Watch it," Yusuke started but decided against it when he saw the look in Hiei's eyes. "Guess we're here." Yusuke pointed to large metal-like structure that was hidden quite well by the dense forest growth.

"That's where were going?" Hiei asked when he regained himself.

"Yup, hope we're not welcome, I'm really tired of doing this kind of thing?" Yusuke mumbled.

"So what _are_ you doing, detective?" Hiei asked.

"Surveillance." Was Yusuke's only reply.

Hiei shrugged it off; this was his chance to train Kobe.

"You go on and do your surveillance, I'll stay here with Kobe." Hiei told him, then turned and walked back into the forest, and a confused Kobe could only watch.

"Hey, little man, I've got to go now, but you should take care of your dad, okay?" Yusuke said putting his hand on his knees.

Kobe nodded, and smiled at Yusuke.

"Okay then, you stay outta trouble for your old man," Yusuke said as he walked away.

Kobe waved as Yusuke disappeared.

"Kobe, come here," Hiei called.

Kobe turned to see his father standing watching him, with curious eyes.

"Dad, what are we gonna do?" Kobe asked.

"You're going to learn while I'm going to teach," Hiei said looking around at some of forest plants and then picking up a few stones.

"Learn…what?" Kobe asked, almost scared.

"To fight," Was Hiei's only response.

For the next hour, Hiei showed Kobe some defensive moves, he had shown some to him before, to pass the long hours of being alone at Aria's house with the child, but this was far fiercer.

Though Kobe never usually whined or complained. He would scowl when his father made him repeat things over and over again until he got it right.

"Dad…"

Hiei stopped and looked at his son.

"I'm bored…I wanna learn my powers." Kobe said he furrowed his brow.

Hiei sighed, and he silently agreed with the child, he was quite bored himself.

"Alright, we can try…but I don't think it'll work." Hiei said. He was too willing to try something else.

Though Hiei was still a little apprehensive about the subject, he had seen his son's unconscious abilities when the child was sleeping. Once the boy had burned Hiei severely when Hiei had tried to wake him from a deep sleep. And Kobe didn't even remember calling on his power, but after that day he seemed aware of them. Sometimes he would try to control them, but he never got passed a spark. Maybe this was the day that he should really help his son. They were out in a place where elemental abilities were common, so it couldn't hurt to try, at least maybe he could show Kobe some defensive abilities.

The next hours were spent trying to get the two year old to concentrate. Which Hiei was finding out was getting increasingly harder as time went on.

"Here, Kobe, concentrate on the leaf, and try to burn it with your fire." Hiei tried.

Kobe looked hard at the leaf but nothing happened, and then back up at Hiei as if to say 'nothing's happening'.

"You can't just look at it, you have to want it to burn," Hiei said.

"But the leaf didn't do anything to me, how can I want to burn it?" Kobe said innocently.

Hiei sighed, annoyed, maybe Kobe's power worked when he was in extreme danger, and as much he wanted to help Kobe learn, he refused to put the child in extreme danger.

"Maybe we should try something else, Kobe." Hiei suggested.

Kobe just looked up at his father.

"Can I take a nap, Dad?" he asked.

Hiei looked down at Kobe, and thought for a moment, he had his hand over his forehead in a very Aria manner.

"I guess so, you'd be of better use if you did," Hiei said finally.

Kobe smiled his thanks and looked around the small clearing for something to use as a pillow, and he knew that his cloak would keep him warm, so he wasn't worried about a blanket.

"Here." Hiei said from behind. Kobe turned to see his father holding out his own cloak to him, obviously to sleep on.

Kobe took it gently, almost like; if Hiei wanted to change his mind then he could and take the cloak back. But once in Kobe's hands Hiei wandered away, and pulled out his sword and started to practice with it across the clearing. Kobe took note that Hiei never went from eyeshot, and felt comfort in that, and with that final thought he laid down on the grass and curled up on the black cloak, and in minutes was happily sleeping.

"Some training that was," Hiei mumbled to himself, as he swung the sword in a wide arc, and then down to the ground before making a foot sweep across the ground.

He glanced over at Kobe for the fourth time, in twenty minutes and noted the child was now sleeping and didn't seem to be moving, and wasn't going to move anytime soon.

The leaves rustled in the sudden breeze that filled the clearing and Hiei stopped his hair with a hand from going into his eyes. He saw a bird fly through the clearing, and then disappear; it was rare to see a bird like that in Makai anymore. They were rare now a days. Hiei thought nothing of it, and almost wished that Kobe had been awake to see the creature.

Hiei continued his practice, and sliced the leaves as they floated through the clearing on the breeze that now refused to leave.

_And there you have it a little odd I know, but I needed a filler, while Yusuke was out surveying the base, Hiei and Kobe had to be doing something and there was a lot of hints for thing to come, of which will be plenty. Anyhoo, I hope I can finish the next chapter…I have to work in the morning groan…I will get as much done as possible and hope to hear from you. Thanks. _

_ Akyna _


End file.
